Joint Statement

Colombo, 20/08/2019 - 14:40, UNIQUE ID: 190820_6

Joint Statements

The Delegation of the European Union (EU) issues the following statement in agreement with the Embassies of Germany, Italy, Netherlands, the UK High Commission, the Embassies of Norway and Switzerland.

We fully share the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet's serious concerns about the appointment of Lieutenant-General Shavendra Silva as Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, given the allegations of grave human rights and humanitarian law violations against him.

The promotion of Lieutenant-General Silva to the post of Army Commander calls into question Sri Lanka's commitments to the UN Human Rights Council, as recently as March 2019, to ensure justice and accountability. It also undermines Sri Lanka's efforts towards national reconciliation and sends a worrying message to victims and survivors of the war.